


The Visit

by Starbooks13



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BAMF Phil Coulson, Fate Has A Cruel Sense of Irony, Gen, Karma - Freeform, Late Night Conversations, Loki Does What He Wants, No Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Spoilers, Not So Different, Phil Needs a Hug, Second Chances, Second Lives, Thor: The Dark World Spoilers, Warning: Loki, seeing ghosts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-27
Updated: 2014-01-27
Packaged: 2018-01-10 05:33:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1155704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starbooks13/pseuds/Starbooks13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Coulson gets an unexpected visitor and ironic fates abound.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Visit

                The Bus was deathly quiet by the time Coulson decided to turn in for the night.  It put the veteran agent on edge.  Not that he expected anyone else to be awake except May, who was piloting, or maybe Ward; Skye and FitzSimmons, for all they’d been through, didn’t have nightmares on a regular basis.  But something just didn’t feel right.  He cautiously wondered towards the living quarters, hand poised to draw his sidearm if necessary.

                The silence was broken by a clink of glass on glass from the bar.  He followed the sound and saw a tall, dark silhouette pouring himself—it was definitely male—a drink.  It was tall enough to be Ward…but the hair.  The hair was too long.  Then the figure turned and for one, hopeful instant Coulson thought he might have fallen asleep at his desk.  This had to be a nightmare.

                But then Loki spoke and shattered that hope.  “It’s been a long time, Son of Coul.”

                “Not long enough.”  His chest throbbed with the memory of literally heart-shattering pain, his mind whirling with the terrible memories of what had come after, mixed with flashes of Tahiti.  And this…being in front of him was the root cause of it all.  “I thought you were incarcerated in Asgard.”

                Loki smiled wryly.  “Death can be such a…liberating force.  As I’m sure you’re well aware.”  He took a sip of his drink before wincing.  “How can you Midgardians drink this pathetic liquor?  I’ve had milk stronger than this.”

                “Must be your Frost Giant biology.”  He took a small measure of delight in the little flash of discomfort that raced across Loki’s face.  “You can tolerate higher amounts of alcohol.”  And he would be testing the limits of his own tolerance levels once he got his murderer off his plane.  His hand strayed closer to his gun.

                Loki set the drink down and glanced around the Bus.  “So this is how you choose to spend your second life.  Gallivanting across the globe with a group of children and a woman as broken as you.”

                “And you’re spending yours criticizing mine.  Assuming you aren’t lying to me.”

                “Don’t your people have some quaint little saying involving assumptions?”

                “What do you want?”

                Loki touched a hand to his chest.  “Merely to ponder the ironies of Fate.  You’ll be pleased to know I have paid for my sin against you.”

                “You mean killing me?” Coulson said flatly, coldly, hate infusing his seemingly placid tone.

                “Yes.” Loki gestured to Coulson’s chest.  “I now bear wounds to match yours.”  He chuckled.  “And like you, I too have a second chance at life as a…different person than I was before.”

                “Like hell.  You haven’t changed.”

                His answering smile was sly.  “Change sometimes depends upon context.  You are a changed man in the context of your work, but your willingness to sacrifice yourself for a higher cause remains the same.”  He gestured towards the living quarters.  “You’d let me kill you again, in an instant, if it meant I would not harm your new little team.”

                Coulson saw red.  His sidearm was in his hand an instant later, pointed at the Trickster’s head.  “You touch a hair on their heads and I will make sure your second chance ends right here and now.  And you won’t have a third.”

                Loki merely laughed.  “You see?  In this context, you are exactly the same man who confronted me aboard the Helicarrier.”  His expression became almost…fond.  “Do not change in that regard, Agent Philip Coulson.  The universe needs more good men to shepherd its lost sheep.” Before Coulson could reply, Loki was gone.

                The rest of the team came pouring in a minute later, May and Ward with guns drawn.  “Coulson!” Skye exclaimed.  “Are you okay?”

                “We heard a strange voice,” Fitz began.

                “But none of us could leave our rooms,” concluded Simmons.

                “And I was locked in the cockpit,” May said.

                “Is everything alright, sir?” Ward asked.

                Coulson picked up Loki’s discarded glass.  “Just an old memory, come back to haunt me.” He downed the glass in a single gulp.


End file.
